AT least 1200 extra people could be accommodated in safety during the next Category 5 cyclone if State and Federal governments fund minor upgrades to two CBD carparks.

The carparks, for the Commonwealth building and a state government-owned facility on the corner of Walker and Stanley streets, are able to be used as disaster refuge centres to keep residents and tourists safe.

But the carparks only have a combined capacity of 655 people because they lack proper ventilation systems and the roller doors aren’t reinforced.

If the upgrades were completed both carparks would be able to safely accommodate 1915 people during a cyclone.

The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group lists the carparks, along with a similar facility at the Suncorp building, as refuge centres during cyclones.

But the group says its push to get the state and federal governments to fund the upgrades of the carparks has hit a dead end.

Mayor Jenny Hill, who is chair of the management group, said there was no excuse for not providing the funding.

“They have basically said to us at the moment that there is no money to do that sort of work,” she said.

“If the upgrades were done then we can ensure many more people have a safe place to sit out a Category 4 or 5 cyclone without having to build new cyclone shelters.

“It’s about trying to make this community more disaster resilient and doing it in the most cost-effective manner possible.”

Townsville City Council executive manager of environmental health Gavin Hammond, who manages the refuge centres in times of disaster, didn’t believe the upgrades would be excessively expensive.

“That was one of the things we were trying to ascertain but it is almost impossible for a local government to accurately quote work on buildings owned by the state and federal government so we really need them to be cooperative partners on this,” he said.

Herbert MP Ewen Jones said he would lobby for the project but no one had contacted him about it.

“If it has only a minor cost but increases the capacity during a disaster by nearly three times then it sounds like a great idea,” he said.

Comments on this story

LNP governments seem to have an "every man for himself" attitude. They don't believe in funding human services. I'm frequently left asking "what is the point of them, at all?"

Millie of Townsville Posted at 9:33 AM July 11, 2014

... and Campbell Newman is trying tell us he is not a bad guy but our saviour. Pick up the phone and call Ewen.

Greg Conly Posted at 9:32 AM July 11, 2014

Have you lot never noticed that the carparks are usually full of peoples caravans/boats/campers right before a cyclone?
Its also exactly the first place a tourist will take their campers/vans in this event and the locals park their valuable holiday toys in them just for the same reason so good luck with this proposal..